A breakthrough in assessment and examination systems in higher education

The higher education and scientific research sector in Egypt received the attention, support, and follow-up of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi during the past seven years, from 2014 to 2021, and this led to an unprecedented quantitative and qualitative development in this sector, and it was among the elements of the higher education and scientific research system that witnessed A remarkable development of assessment and examination systems in the various fields of education and scientific research.

In this context, Dr. Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, reviewed a report on the ministry’s efforts to develop assessment and examination systems, by establishing centers and units for measurement and assessment, with the aim of expanding the dissemination of a culture of digital transformation in the field of measurement and assessment systems with the aim of improving the outcomes of the educational process, achieving justice and transparency in evaluating students, achieving the standard ratio for generalizing and applying question banks, and developing and introducing written, practical, oral and applied examination systems and methods, especially for people with special needs, in accordance with modern measurement and evaluation systems.

The report pointed to the integrated project for the application of automated tests in all higher education institutions, by taking executive measures, preparing work teams and training qualified cadres to manage computer laboratories for electronic tests, to avoid human errors in traditional test systems, and to achieve the highest levels of quality in the educational process with international standards commensurate with Requirements for Egyptian faculties and universities.

The report indicated that the project of applying automated tests in all higher education institutions will be carried out in two phases: the first phase, which concerns the health sector, includes 214,000 students, the number of faculties is 72, the number of laboratories has reached 35, and the number of computers is about 30 thousand, bringing the percentage of Devices to students (one device for every 9 students), and the second stage includes students from the rest of the faculties, and includes more than 175,000 devices in 180 laboratories.

The report added that the cost of the project to implement automated tests is about 4.5 billion pounds:

The first phase: It costs about 1.1 billion pounds, and is implemented within two fiscal years, starting from 2019/2020.

- The second phase: its cost is about 3.4 billion pounds, and it will be implemented within two fiscal years, starting from 2021/2022.

Dr. Adel Abdel Ghaffar, media advisor and official spokesman for the ministry, explained that the project of applying mechanized tests is a qualitative leap in the field of higher education and scientific research, and will keep pace with technological development, and contribute to replacing traditional patterns in exam setting with other, more modern patterns, and helps avoid human errors in correction, it also contributes to enhancing quality in the higher education and scientific research sector.